1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a projectile of the type comprising a pyrotechnic charge and means for initiating the pyrotechnic charge subject to a time-delay.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In projectiles of this kind the means for initiating the pyrotechnic charge subject to a time-delay are usually, at least for the most part, combined together in a longitudinal end section of the projectile, with reference to a longitudinal direction in which the projectile is fired, while the pyrotechnic charge occupies a single chamber generally extending from this part of the projectile to its opposite end.
There is obtained in this way a projectile designed to be fired by means of a firing and guidance device that is associated with the projectile only when it is fired, as is the case, for example, with missiles or projectiles initially associated with a tube serving to guide them at least in part when they are fired by ejecting the projectile from the associated tube, as is the case, for example, with chaff launcher cartridges and flare cartridges.
In all cases the presence of the initiator means at one end of the projectile impedes homogeneous distribution of the effects of the pyrotechnic charge in cases where such homogeneous distribution is necessary.
Also, the explosion or sudden ignition of the pyrotechnic charge by initiator means incorporating a time-delay impells the latter, together with the part of the projectile containing them, violently towards the side on which the time-delayed initiator means are localized; this advantage is particularly serious in the case of chaff launcher projectiles and flare projectiles; the time-delayer initiator means are then generally located at the rear of the projectile, relative to the direction in which it is fired, and are therefore impelled towards the firing personnel and device whereas, as a general rule, the delaying of initiation of the pyrotechnic charge relative to firing is determined in such a way that the distance of the projectile from the firing personnel and device when the pyrotechnic charge is initiated is low, that is to say often less than the distance that the part of the projectile containing the time-delayed initiator means can travel in the reverse direction as a result of the explosion or sudden ignition of the pyrotechnic charge; this results in a significant hazard to the firing personnel and device.
An objective of the present invention is to alleviate these disadvantages.